


The only heaven I'll be sent to

by Hermit9



Category: Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children
Genre: Cloud needs to use his words, Enemies to Lovers, First Kiss, First Time, Fluff and Smut, Kinda, M/M, PWP, Post Advent Children, Reno POV
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-29
Updated: 2017-09-29
Packaged: 2019-01-06 16:58:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,290
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12215031
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hermit9/pseuds/Hermit9
Summary: In the aftermath of the battle against the Sephiroth Remnants, everyone needs a bit of downtime.





	The only heaven I'll be sent to

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Separate_The_Earth](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Separate_The_Earth/gifts).



> Many thanks for the most awesome [FestiveFerret](https://archiveofourown.org/users/FestiveFerret/pseuds/FestiveFerret) for listening to me complaining about these characters refusing to get with the program.

The cries and laughter of children echoed through the church, bouncing off the stone rubbles and the ruined benches. For all the destruction, the stained glass windows still gleamed in the light of the setting sun. They should grab a sample for the research lab. Maybe it was an Ancients special tech. Maybe it was just luck. Reno ran a hand through his hair, feeling the exhaustion set in. It had been a long day. The loud roar of the chopper faded, Tseng and Elena going for one more round. The President was serious about Shinra making amends. Employees had been sweeping through Midgar, going door to door to find geostigma sufferers that had been inside when the rain came. There were many of them. The Sector 7 destruction and the highway damage meant transport was an issue. There would be a lot of rebuilding to be done. At least that wasn’t Turks business, as much as anything in Midgar wasn’t Turks business.

The church was packed. Someone, probably Tifa or Barret, had brought over beer and liquor, turning the baptismal pool into a party. There were a few gutted and empty 7th heaven labeled boxes and a growing collection of empties in a corner. Reno reached and grabbed a bottle, indiscriminately. His posture changed as he allowed some of the stress to bleed out, shifting into a much more comfortable slouch. He deserved a break. He hopped on an overturn bench, finding his balance easily and cracking the seal of the bottle. The orphans were taking turns dripping water over the stigma wounds of the new arrivals, laughing and shrieking as the dark smears vanished in swarms of green sparks. The cluster of ex-AVALANCHE had moved to the far side, keeping an eye on things but mostly chatting amongst themselves. Marlene was sleeping, wrapped in Valentine’s cloak. A flap of grey fabric and spiked blond hair caught his eye, vanishing between two columns. Interesting.

Cloud was not exactly staggering, but his footfall was heavier and there was a perceivable lean to him. Like he was overcompensating for the sword he wasn’t carrying. Well, well, well… mako-infused pseudo-ex-SOLDIER could get drunk after all. Wasn’t that something. Cloud straddled his bike and sped off, the engine loud but whining and pained. It needed some care and maintenance after the acrobatics, probably a new paint job to boot. Poor thing was scratched and scared. It was wearing the marks washed away from its rider. Maybe just a clear coat, Reno mused. For reasons he didn’t want to examine too closely, he liked the idea that Cloud could have a proof of his deeds. 

He followed him, riding a bike he’d burrowed by the church, battered and old. It probably wouldn’t be missed. He had full intentions to bring it back anyway. Cloud was weaving his way through the sector’s destruction on paths that were roads only because there was less debris there. He did not seem to notice the trail; if he had, he did not react.

They exited Midgar, the transition sudden into the Wasteland. Reno made a note of the location, hoping to be able to find it again. No wonder AVALANCHE had been able to operate under their nose, they apparently knew every maze and rat tunnels of the city. Nightfall over the Wastelands was eerie. The dust shrouded the passage of the bikes, kicked up like flags behind them. The rumbling of the motors felt louder even without the echoes from the city’s structures. It was alien and mechanical in the dead zone left by the mako reactors and the folly of Shinra. They had so much to atone for.

It was dark by the time he reached the memorial. Cloud was standing very still by the pitted sword lodged into the rocky ground. Reno killed the motor of his borrowed ride and the silence roared back to engulf them. There was a weight here, a reverence of prayers and sanctity. Not that it had ever stopped him before.

“Yo, Cloud! You’ve won. What do you have to be all moody about?”

There was no answer but Reno hadn’t expected one. Cloud was easy like that. Silent and stoïc, comfortable in both and letting others drive the conversation. He was a lot like Rude, if less stylish. Not that either of them would ever admit it, out loud or otherwise. He stretched, feeling his shoulders and spine pop. He was going to be sore in the morning. Reno passed by Cloud and sat, facing the city. He didn’t lean on the sword, that was a plan for a lot of metal suddenly residing in his neck. Midgar’s lights were blinking on, or most of them The least damaged ones. The Shinra tower was a darkened blind mass in the center. Sephiroth had done a lot of damage, both times around. They would fix it. At least this way the stars were visible, with even a hit of the milky way. He unscrewed the cap of the liquor bottle and took a swig. It burned as he swallowed. 

“I don’t need a keeper,” said Cloud, settling next to him in a flurry of fabric. He reached for the bottle and took a long drink, without wincing.

“I’m off the clock, man. Just watching the city.”

He snatched the bottle back and met no resistance. Reno took a small mouthful then put it down further away on his left. He didn’t want to get drunk, and Cloud clearly had had enough. For now. There was a lingering warmth in the rock, leaching back into the rapidly cooling air. The silence was back.  
  
“I saw them. By the pool,” said Cloud, unprompted. Reno held his breath, not wanting to spook him, but nothing else came.

“Them who?” he asked, keeping his tone light.

“Aerith. And Zach.”

“Oh yeah?” Change of plan. Neither of them was drunk enough for this. He fumbled with the bottle, inordinately proud when he managed to open it without spilling any. “Did they say anything?”

“Zach didn’t. He just gave me a salute. She said everything was alright.” He stopped with a sigh or a sharp swallowed breath. “But I don’t know what it means.” He turned to Reno, and there was something raw and earnest in his expression. “What I am supposed to do now?”

“You really want my advice?” Reno shuffled and turned to him, then he waited. Cloud nodded, a small almost timid movement. “Now you live. For you, not for them. You don’t do penance for her, you don’t carry him. Just be Cloud.”

“What if I don’t know how?”

Reno sniggered, but the laughter died in his throat when he saw Cloud flinch and his walls coming back up. It has been an honest question. Cloud had pretty eyes - expressive when his guard was down - the color of the sea between green and blue. The cat eye pupils of the Jenova strain was gone, which was a shame. Reno cleared his throat. He hated things like this, he usually tried to get Tseng, or Rude, or Elena, or one of the new guys to handle it. “You start small. Start by doing one thing you want to do and that no one else told you you should.”

“The last time I had any ambition I ran off to join SOLDIER.”

“Ok, ok, bad track record. I get it… But you’re older now. There’s gotta be something you want for yourself.”

Cloud didn’t answer, but his cheeks turned darker. It was hard to see, but he seemed to be blushing. Cloud broke eye contact and tucked his chin in as he turned away. Shy, Reno thought. He looked shy. Reno was suddenly aware of how close they were sitting. He could feel the heat from Cloud’s thigh against his, and Cloud had been leaning a bit against his shoulder until now. 

“Ooooh…” whistled Reno as realization set in. He tilted his head and looked at the drop below him, checking the fall if he was reading this wrong. It wasn’t that high, he’d had worse. “Yo, Cloud,” he said, his voice lower and softer, dropping the teasing tone. He waited for the other man to look at him. “If I’m an idiot, just tell me, yeah?”

Reno leaned closer, slowly, letting Cloud decide if he wanted to back away. He wasn’t. Cloud was staying very still, eyes almost comically wide and his breath as coming in short panting bursts. Reno brushed his lips against Cloud’s soft and chaste. He pulled back after a few seconds, trying to read Cloud’s face. It was too dark; he was an idiot for not doing this somewhere with lights. 

“This ok?” he asked.

He felt Cloud’s nod, nose and cheeks rubbing against his own. Good enough. He brought up a hand to cup the back of Cloud’s head, fingers spread in the surprisingly soft hair there. When he closed the space again he placed small kisses on Cloud’s cheeks and the side of his jaw. He smirked as he felt Cloud’s hand against his back, flitting and unsure of what he was allowed to do. When he went back for Cloud’s lips they parted easily for him, incredibly soft despite everything. Cloud tasted and smelt clean, a bit like crushed leaves and flowers. It made Reno realize how grimy his skin and clothes were, coated in dust and dried sweat. Not that Cloud seemed to care. He seemed to have decided that this was really happening and not a dream and gotten with the program. The kiss deepened as Cloud finally let his hands rest around Reno’s hips, holding him as if he was afraid he’d disappear if he let go. Cloud had very strong hands, strong fingers and overall strong everything, Reno discovered. 

He bit back a laugh that morphed into an embarrassingly high-pitched moan as Cloud lifted him and set him back down on his lap. Forget the bikes, even the fancy Fenris ones. This is what straddling power felt like. Reno traced the shapes of Cloud’s arms with his fingers, cursing at all the layers he was wearing. He pulled back a bit to catch his breath, which only made Cloud growl and start kissing and nibbling on his neck and collarbone. The gleam of the zipper in Cloud’s shirt caught his eye and he opened it as fast as he could, reaching under the fabric to the warm flesh beneath. Cloud gasped as the cold night air rushed in, and pulled Reno closer to him. Both men moaned as that made them ground against each other. 

“Yo Cloud, hey,” said Reno, pulling back away, but leaving his hands somewhere around Cloud’s lower back. “I’m already gross and if you keep that up, we’re going to end up even dirtier.”

“Don’t care,” Cloud answered, and his voice, this wrecked and deep, was something Reno knew was going to be addictive. 

“Alright then.” He rolled his hips down, deliberate and slow so he could enjoy the effect he was having. Cloud arched back with a gasp, eyes fluttering closed. Reno went back to exploring Cloud’s upper body, all smooth muscles, and soft skin, kissing his neck and biting at his jaw. It’d been years since he felt this eager and had enjoyed a heated make-out session as much. He didn’t even mind the fingertip-sized bruises he was probably going to have on his hips. 

They were both running on fourth or fifth winds, tired and too awake at the same time. Reno groaned as every touch felt like sparks along his nerves, sizzling down his spine. He batted Cloud’s hand away when he tried to go for his shirt, mumbling about how gross he was against his skin. Cloud groaned something that might have been words but let go the of the fabric, snaking one hand around Reno’s back and pulling at his hair so he could kiss him again. His other hand was doing something fantastic between their bodies, adding pressure in just the right places as they rutted against each other. Sometimes, Reno thought when he could fire enough neurons at the same time to do it, teenagers had the best ideas. This felt awesome.

The sounds pouring out of Cloud hopefully meant he felt the same. The blond’s movements were growing disorganized and he closed his eyes, chasing his high. Reno put his hands on Cloud’s shoulder, trying to leverage himself and keep his balance, grinding his hips down. With a throaty sigh, Cloud fell backward, limp and boneless, missing the edge of the sword behind them by a hair. Something about that sight made Reno feel like his skin was on fire. Maybe it was the vulnerability, maybe it was the show of trust. Maybe it was the truly spectacular way his abs looked exposed this way and the fluttering of his skin. Reno used his own hand to replace the missing friction from Cloud, stroking over the fabric of his pants. His own climax blindsided him, vision whiting out as he collapsed on top of Cloud. 

Reno took a few breaths to remember how his limbs worked and untangled himself. He winced at the sticky wet feeling.

“Tell you what dude. I have a flat in Sector 8 where I know no one else is. I probably have some clothes that fit you, and a shower with hot water…”

Cloud lifted himself up on his elbows, smiling lazily. It was a good look on him. “You had me at ‘I have a flat’”

“Good. Your turn to follow. Try not to get lost!” Reno winked and sauntered off. He could totally bring the bike back tomorrow. Maybe the day after.


End file.
